


The Art of Flirtation

by Brenda



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M, M/M, Multi, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sassy Bucky Barnes, Stealth Steve Rogers, Surprise Pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-11
Updated: 2014-05-11
Packaged: 2018-01-24 06:28:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1594991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brenda/pseuds/Brenda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Steve Rogers got dating advice, and the one time he didn't need it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Art of Flirtation

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Getting to Know You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/826002) by [Precisely_Measured_Words (Measured_Words)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured_Words/pseuds/Precisely_Measured_Words). 
  * In response to a prompt by [Measured_Words](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured_Words/pseuds/Measured_Words) in the [remixmadness2014](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/remixmadness2014) collection. 



**1\. Sam Wilson**

One thing Sam definitely hasn't missed during his days of retirement from active service has been the sheer boredom between missions, and the tedious monotony before a mission gets the green light to go live. Intelligence gathering and footwork and prep and all that are fine and necessary for success, but that's not really the part of any assignment where Sam excels. No, he's a soldier, not a strategist. Give him orders and he'll follow, but sitting in the war room going over plans has never been his style. 

Still, Sam's gotta admit, there are perks to working privately (and very off the books) for Stark, and being part of a smaller team. First off, there aren't as many people looking over his shoulder and scrutinizing his every move, and second, he has access to really good quality coffee no matter where he is in the world. It could definitely be worse. (Air Force coffee is an affront to taste buds, no two ways about it.)

"What's a six letter word for excite?" Steve asks. His head is bent over his crossword, the same one he's been working on for the past hour, and he's taking up way too much space at their tiny table in the even tinier kitchen of the safe house they've been holed up in the last three days.

"I dunno, what letter's it start with?"

"A," Steve replies, then pauses. "No, wait...uh, yeah, it definitely starts with A."

"Try arouse," Maria Hill says as she passes by, with her own mug in hand.

"Oh yeah, that's it." Steve glances up, smiles that shy, goofy smile he always gets around any attractive female. "Thanks, Maria."

She returns the smile and the look. "Well, it's not every day I'm asked to arouse Captain America."

"Um." Sam could swear the tips of Steve's _ears_ turn red. "I guess I'll, uh, ask you. If I need any more help getting aroused. I mean, um, help. With the crossword."

"You do that." Maria winks, and Sam's damn near positive she puts an extra wiggle in her step as she heads back into the living room, and their makeshift ops station. Which Sam's red-blooded enough to appreciate, even if it's not for his express benefit.

He waits until he's sure she's well out of earshot before rounding on Steve. Who's gone right back to his crossword like nothing's just happened. "Man, that was just about _terrible_."

"Hmm?"

"Your game. It's terrible. Tragic, even," Sam adds, for emphasis. He's not even exaggerating. Tragic doesn't even begin to cover what he's just witnessed.

"No, I'm actually over halfway done, see." Steve shows Sam the crossword, with a little over half the clues neatly filled in. In pen. Because, of course Steve Rogers does his crossword in pen. Sam's not sure why he should have expected anything else.

"I meant your game with the ladies," he explains. "I'm concerned about you."

"Oh." Steve shrugs, decidedly _not_ concerned. "I never had much of one to begin with. That was always more Bucky's strength."

"And you're positive you're not a virgin?"

The look Steve gives him is just _this_ side of outright bitchy. Sam likes it – makes him look less like a perfect super soldier and more like a human being. "Unless the definition of the word's changed in the last seventy years, yes, I'm positive I'm not a virgin."

"Yeah, I guess when you look like how you look, game don't matter when it comes to sex." Which, Sam could see it. Steve wouldn't need to say much, if anything, to get women horizontal. What with the dimples and those baby blues and the abs of steel and all, Sam's willing to bet conversation is the last thing on a girl's mind when she sees Steve Rogers in the flesh. So to speak. "So, what's the deal?"

"Why is this even a topic for conversation?"

"Cause I got _eyes_ , brother. And Maria Hill is worth a second, third, and fourth look." Especially in that skintight black uniform she still likes to wear. 

"Yes, she is," Steve agrees, proving that he's not completely hopeless or completely blind.

"And maybe if you actually manned up and asked without stammering and blushing and putting your foot in your mouth and all that, she might even say yes."

"Manned up, hmm?" Steve looks thoughtful, like he's giving serious thought about how to go about doing that. Sam decides to take pity on him. Besides, it's not like he's got much else going on until they get the okay to proceed with the mission, and he needs something to occupy his time.

"Don't worry, with me on the case, we'll polish up your pretty much nonexistent flirtation skills in no time. Hill'll never know what hit her."

"Yeah?" Steve smiles again, a tiny up-curve that's all friendly warmth.

"Hell yeah," Sam replies. Poor bastard. Sam wonders if he could get a medal of honor or something from the President if he finds Captain America a regular girl.

 

**2\. Natasha Romanov**

One nice thing about being part of the Avengers is that Natasha has access to the state of the art gym at Stark's place whenever she's in New York. And it also gives her an opportunity to continue training Steve in different methods of hand-to-hand combat, as well as test her own skills against a worthy opponent. It's a good arrangement, and one she enjoys taking advantage of when she can.

She wipes the sweat from her brow and tosses her towel over her shoulder. "Good work out today. Who's been teaching you jiu-jitsu?"

"Oh, Bucky," Steve replies, putting the cap back on his water bottle. Like Natasha, he's winded, but still looks like he could take down a squadron on his own. "So far, he's kicking my ass, but I'm getting better."

"I'll say." That last leg sweep had come dangerously close to taking her down, something that hasn't happened to her in a long, long time. "Well, keep it up and maybe we can work in some drunken boxing moves next."

"That'd be great."

Maria Hill walks into the room in yoga pants and a tank top, hair pinned back in a messy bun and her palms all taped up. "Romanov, Rogers," she says as she walks past, throwing a small smile Steve's way.

"Ma'am," Steve replies, polite as always. But his look definitely lingers. (Natasha can't say that she blames him. Hill's an attractive woman, but even more than that, she's got the sort of swagger that's irresistible to the opposite sex.) "Enjoy your workout."

"Today, I really need the exercise," Hill says, and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Nothing beats good, old-fashioned sweat, am I right?"

"I, uh, I guess you are. Right about that. Getting sweaty, I mean," he says, then winces. "I, um, enjoy your workout...sorry, I think I already said that."

"Yeah, okay, I'll catch you later, Steve," Hill says, and it's clear she's trying her best not to laugh right in Steve's face. Which already makes her a better person that Natasha will ever be.

Natasha waits until Hill's on the other side of the gym and hears the rhythmic slap of the speed bag before she turns to Steve and quirks an eyebrow his way.

"You're sure you're actually interested in women?"

"Yeeeeees," Steve replies, slowly. "Why?"

Natasha sighs. "Because your signal reading skills are non-existent."

"Signal reading?" Steve parrots back, looking confused.

"Yeah, like body language." She lowers her lashes, subtly shifts her body, and moistens her lips. Steve's eyes track the movement. "See, like what I'm doing right now?" She drops her voice. "This is my body language and my tone letting you know I'm interested even though we're just talking about something pretty inane."

Steve clears his throat, shifts from foot to foot. " _Okay_ , and what's that got to do with..." He trails off. "Oh, you think...?"

"She's definitely interested," Natasha finishes, and pats Steve on the arm. "You should ask her out."

"I'll, uh..." His gaze flickers to Hill again. "I'll think about it."

"Yeah, okay. Sure you will."

 

**3\. Clint Barton**

Steve drops into the co-pilot's seat and looks at the control panels. "What's our ETA?"

Clint flicks a few switches, levels out the plane nice and easy. Flying never gets old, no matter how many times he does it, or what sort of aircraft it is. "Twenty minutes to extraction point," he says, even though he already knows Steve doesn't really need the information. "Winds are steady, visibility's good, we're all set."

"Good."

Clint notices the set line to Steve's jaw and the stress lines around his eyes. "Relax, Cap, they'll be there on time," he says, because he knows that feeling, and even the steadiest of people still need the reassurance that everything's copacetic.

"No, I know, it's just..." Steve sighs out a shaky breath. Stares out the cockpit window like he's seeing a ghost. "I guess I'm just not used to being up here and not down there."

"Yeah, I get it, but this is a dark mission. And you're a lot of things, but undercover work really isn't your speed. Best to leave that sort of thing to the experts, y'know." 

Steve laughs, short and sharp. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm still not comfortable with it, though."

"Are you worried because it's Barnes' first mission without you at his six or because you think he's gonna beat you to the punch with Hill since they're all alone down there?" Clint asks, mostly because he may as well have a little fun before things get hectic, and he figures Steve could use the distraction.

"I...what?"

"Well, it's not exactly like it's a secret that you're shy around the ladies," Clint cheerfully points out. "Also, it's not a secret that Barnes isn't."

Steve makes an amused noise. "You can say that again."

"So, if you're interested in Hill, you may wanna tell your BFF to respect the bro-code and back off. But you also can't wait forever to ask her out, either," Clint says. "That's not fair to her or Barnes, assuming he's interested." Which, really, that's just semantics, because of course Barnes would be interested. Clint doesn't know of any man who wouldn't want Maria Hill.

"I don't think this is the appropriate –"

"Multi-tasking, Cap. I'm sure you've heard of it."

Steve huffs a rueful laugh. "You've been hanging around Nat too much."

"And, who knows, maybe Hill prefers the sunshine and flowers type over dark and dangerous," Clint grins. Although, if he was a betting man – which he is – he'd lay all his money on Barnes tapping that well before Steve could even formulate a coherent sentence around her that's not mission-related.

 

**4\. Sharon Carter**

"You're sure you don't mind taking the time like this?" Sharon asks, following Steve down the hallway to the spacious gun range. And maybe taking a moment to herself to admire the way the Captain wears a pair of jeans. After all, there's no harm in looking.

"Positive." Steve sets his shield down with a dull clank and studies the wide variety of guns on the table. "It'll be good training for me, too."

"Well, I appreciate it, whatever the reason." Practice is all well and good, but sometimes a girl just has to work with a live target. And someone with the Captain's reflexes and skills will make a nice challenge. "I asked Maria Hill to join us, I hope you don't mind."

"Oh? Um, no, no, that'd be great. Looking, uh, forward to it," Steve stammers out, going a nice shade of red. "You two can tag team me and then take turns and...oh, jeez, that, uh, came out all –"

Sharon claps a hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to keep the giggles at bay. The poor man looks mortified. It's downright endearing. "Wow, I can't believe you actually went there. And on a first date, too."

"Sharon..." Steve groans, wincing.

"Don't worry, we'll go easy on you until we get to know you better..."

" _Sharon._ "

She holds up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. But you might want to brush up on your conversational skills, especially with the ladies."

Steve smiles, sheepish and seriously, so _so_ cute. "Trust me, it's not for lack of trying."

"You just need to learn to relax," Sharon says, and gives his shoulder a reassuring pat. "Maria already likes you. That's half the battle."

"Thanks?"

"But you still need to actually ask her out before she starts wondering if you're really interested. And maybe table the discussion of bringing another woman into the mix until at least the fourth date," she can't resist adding.

His blush really is the most delightful thing.

 

**5\. Bucky Barnes**

Bucky turns down the iPod when he hears the sound of the key in the lock. "Steve, that you?"

"Yeah," Steve says, and steps into the kitchen with an appreciative sniff. "Whatever it is you're making, it smells great."

"Lime-crusted shrimp, chickpea tabbouleh, and fire-roasted peppers," Bucky says, with more than a hint of pride. Sam had initially been the one to suggest Bucky take up cooking as a therapeutic sort of hobby, and he doesn't mind admitting it's helped him keep things in check and focused, especially on the nights when sleep doesn't come so easy. And if these new-found skills keep Steve out of the kitchen, then it's a victory all the way around. 

(Actually, the less said about Steve's epic cooking failures, the better.)

Bucky leans back into the touch when Steve runs light fingers across his lower back, and presses a quick kiss to Steve's nape. "How was your run?"

"Good," Steve shrugs. "Had to take it a little easy the last six miles or so."

"Ran into Sam?"

"And Maria Hill."

Well, that definitely explains a few things. Like Steve's rapid pulse and the pinkish tinge to his cheeks. "Lemme guess, you tripped over yourself ogling her in her shorts?"

Steve takes the juice out of the fridge and takes a long swig straight from the container. Something he only does when he's annoyed. "No, I did not trip up over myself." 

Bucky turns off the stove and grabs two plates from the cabinet. "But you did at least check her legs out, right?"

"Buck..."

"Please tell me you didn't disappoint me."

Steve sighs – long and suffering and slightly dramatic, not that Bucky would ever tell him that – and puts the juice back in the fridge. "No, I didn't disappoint you. Happy now?"

Bucky pats Steve's cheek when he steps past him to grab the tabbouleh. "You're so adorable when you're irritated."

"I'm always adorable and I'm not irritated," Steve says, stealing a shrimp before Bucky can stop him. "Exasperated, maybe, but that's not the same thing."

Bucky thinks about arguing the point, because it's definitely the same thing, but decides it's not worth it. "Did you _talk_ to her this time?"

"I think you know the answer to that already," Steve says, giving Bucky a meaningful look.

Yeah, he does, but he still shakes his head. He won't deny it's been fun, but he's starting to wonder if Steve even has an exit strategy in mind. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you." 

Steve shrugs and nudges at Bucky's arm. "I just don't know why it's such a big deal."

"It's only a big deal because you're making it one," Bucky points out. 

"You know Barton thinks you're going to steal her from me before I get the gumption to ask her out."

Sounds like something Clint would say. "Tell Barton if I was interested in stealing Maria Hill away from anyone, she'd be mine already."

Steve's smirk is as wide as it is mischievous. "Y'think so, huh?" 

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?" Bucky asks, with a grin. "Don't worry, I only have eyes for you at the moment."

"I see," Steve says, drawing the words out, as his gaze rakes over Bucky's body. "Gonna throw me over as soon as a nicer set of legs comes along?"

"I might," Bucky replies, even though they both know the truth. "Although, speaking of Maria and her very fine legs, when I was at Stark's earlier getting my arm checked out, that hot friend of Dr. Foster's –"

"Darcy Lewis –"

"Yeah, her. Anyway, she cornered me in the elevator and made me promise that I'd help you out with your problem like a good best friend should."

"Help me out?" Steve gives him a baffled look. "With what?"

"Something about giving you flirting lessons so you wouldn't look so lost around women all the time. I gotta admit, I wasn't paying too much attention to what she was saying. She was wearing a really low-cut shirt," Bucky says, with a shrug. And, his heart and body may be in a committed relationship, but, well, he's only human. _Mostly_ human.

Steve's eyes narrow. "You didn't say anything to her, did you?"

"Fuck no," Bucky replies, insulted. "First off, you know I don't kiss and tell. Second, I'm having way too much fun with this."

"Define fun."

"Oh, nothing much, just smiling all sympathetic over your lack of skills and saying, of course, I'd be happy to help any way I can, but Steve's been tongue-tied around dames pretty much since 1930, so I'm not sure what else I can do at this point."

Steve shakes his head, exasperated, but fond. "And I bet she fell for it."

"Hook, line, and sinker, like they always do." Bucky slides his left hand under Steve's shirt to rest at his hip, the heat of Steve's skin warming cool metal. "You know your secret's safe with me."

"I do know." Steve smiles, the small, private one that very few people ever get to see. He brushes a light kiss across Bucky's lips, that Bucky turns into two, then three. "Just don't give the game away, alright."

"And miss the fireworks when everyone finally figures out how thoroughly the _very_ honest and shy and virginal little Steve Rogers has been playing them all this time?" Bucky scoffs. "Not a chance in hell, pal."

"Hey, it's their own fault for assuming," Steve says. 

"You're enjoying this far too much, you know," Bucky says, and grins when Steve just laughs.

"Well, I never claimed to be perfect."

 

**+1. Maria Hill**

It's not that Maria deliberately sets out to outright _lie_ to anyone. Despite her well-earned reputation, she has a policy against lying to the people she actually works with. In her line of work, if you can't trust the person standing next to you, you best find another profession altogether before you wound up dead.

Which means she tries her best to not outright lie if she can help it. Mostly, she just allows people to draw their own, often erroneous, conclusions, and doesn't bother to correct them on it.

Which also means when she's asked if Steve's gotten around to actually asking her out on a real date yet, she can truthfully say no, he hasn't. But it's not because he's too shy to get the words out... 

 

The shrill, insistent beeping of an alarm going off filters in through the fog of sleep. Maria lifts her head to look at the bedside clock and groans at the god-awful early hour. "Whosephoneizzat?"

"Mine, sorry" Steve replies, quiet and apologetic. He sounds far too awake, the bastard. "There's a situation on Staten Island involving some stolen experimental HYDRA weapons. I gotta go."

Maria gives one last, longing thought to her pillow and the man currently spooning her before tossing back the blankets. "Gimme two minutes," she says around a yawn. "And a cup of coffee wouldn't hurt."

"Maria, you don't –"

The metal arm around her waist falls off. "Both of you, shut it," Bucky grumbles, and rolls to his stomach. For emphasis, he pulls his pillow over his head.

"Sorry," Steve tells him, then glances down at Maria. He's still shirtless, which is always a nice sight, but he's in his uniform pants and he has his boots on. "You don't have to get up, I promise. It's a simple take down –"

Bucky throws his pillow at Steve. "Jesus fuck, Rogers, either take her or you're getting me," he growls. "And if I have to get up, neither of you is getting laid _or_ getting fed for a week."

Steve and Maria exchange a rueful glance as Bucky makes a point of pulling the blankets up around himself and turning his back to them. 

"You heard the man," Maria says, fighting back a smile.

"I guess I did," Steve replies, with a fond smile for Bucky that he transfers to her. "Commander Hill, would you like to join me on this op?"

"Why Captain Rogers, I thought you'd never ask," she replies, with a flirtatious grin.

"Guess I'll go make coffee, then."

"You do that." Steve heads down the hallway, and Maria rolls over to press a kiss to Bucky's shoulder. 

"Thanks for the backup," she says.

"Y'owe me," Bucky mumbles, then twists so he's facing her, and pulls her down for a _far_ more thorough goodbye. 

She can feel how flushed her face is when she pulls away from the warmth of Barnes' body and the heat of his mouth, and almost wishes she hadn't insisted on accompanying Steve. Staying in bed with Barnes does sound like a far more attractive way to spend her morning. But then, she knows that the only reason he isn't getting up himself is because he trusts her to have Steve's back. And it's a trust she has no intention of ever breaking, especially not as long as it had taken her to earn it in the first place.

"Try not to have too much fun without me, alright," Bucky says, voice still rough with sleep.

"Wouldn't dream of it," she tells him with another soft kiss, then climbs out of the bed before she gives in to the temptation to linger.

When she finally strides into the kitchen, fully dressed and buckling her gun holster, Steve pushes a full cup of coffee her way. "Here."

"You really are a life saver." She scalds her tongue on her first long sip, but doesn't bite back the small moan of pleasure when the jolt of caffeine hits her system.

"I think I'm jealous," Steve jokes, with a wry half-grin that shouldn't be nearly as attractive as it is.

"Well, if it's a choice between you and coffee..." She lifts her shoulders, offers a rueful smile.

"Yeah, I get it, you and Bucky both would throw me over for some dark-roasted Arabica beans."

"Nah, I'd definitely hold out for at least a good Kona blend," she grins, and slides her free hand around the back of his neck as she pulls him to her. Steve's lips are soft, full, conform to hers perfectly, and he definitely knows what to do with them. That in itself had been a revelation the first time they'd gotten together, but she'd quickly found out that Steve has all kinds of skills, and is always only too happy to show them off. 

(She won't even mention Bucky's skills, except to say that she must have been a very, very good girl in another life to be so richly rewarded in this one.) 

She and Steve are both breathing a little heavy when the kiss finally ends. And she's very pleased to see that Steve's mouth is reddened and slightly bruised. Thoroughly debauched is such a good look for him. "Now go kiss Barnes goodbye and finish getting dressed," she says, and brings the coffee cup back up to her lips. "We roll out in five."

"Yes, ma'am," Steve smiles, and hands over her gun before heading back down the hallway to the bedroom.

A much better present than flowers or candy any day of the week, she thinks, and grins.

***

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Melle for her great insight and to Jo for the beta.
> 
> You can now find me on [Tumblr](http://brendaonao3.tumblr.com/). :)


End file.
